Survivor 15 calendar
Survivor 15: China calendar
By: Jeff Pitman | Last updated: June 4, 2023
Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat.
Pre-show Ep1: A Chicken's a Little Bit Smarter Ep2: My Mom Is Going to Kill Me!
Day 0
(June 24)

Pre-game interviews?
Day 1
(June 25)

Ep.1 arrival

Ep.1 arrival

Ep.1 arrival

Contestants walk through an unnamed Chinese city, board a train, then a truck, which takes them to a steep staircase. They climb the staircase, hauling their luggage, to reach a temple, where they enjoy (more or less) a welcoming ceremony. Leslie leaves mid-ceremony because 'It felt like worship.' After the ceremony, Probst reveals the tribe assignments, and the new Fei Long and Zhan Hu tribes leave for their camps.

Next: Ep.1 IC →

Arrival: 16 players, two tribes - Fei Long and Zhan Hu.
Day 2
(June 26)
Day 3
(June 27)

Ep.1 IC: Dragon Dance

Ep.1 IC: Dragon Dance

Ep.1 IC: Dragon Dance

Tribes must carry large ceremonial dragon puppets through an obstacle course. One person (Frosti, James) unclips, runs ahead, and crosses barrier walls to unlock two gates. Then the tribes proceed to the final platform, where each pole must be fit into a uniquely shaped hole. First tribe to place all their poles and release the dragon wins. That tribe is Fei Long, who also receive flint for their victory.

← Previous: Ep.1 arrival Next: Ep.2 RC →

Ep1 IC: "Dragon Dance" - Fei Long wins, gets fire.

TC1 - Chicken voted out (5-2-1), 15 left.
Day 4
(June 28)

Ep.2 RC: Chinese Checkers

Ep.2 RC: Chinese Checkers

Ep.2 RC: Chinese Checkers

Todd sits out. Tribes must, in groups of three, move giant balls through a gate; first tribe to two points wins. Rd.1: Aaron, Denise, Amanda vs. Erik, Jaime, Sherea. Lots of tackling, eventually a near-topless Amanda moves a ball into the endzone for Fei Long. Rd.2: Jean-Robert, James, Leslie vs. Dave, Frosti, Ashley. Much quicker, James scores, Fei Long wins, 2-0. Courtney never competes. Fei Long wins fishing gear, plus the chance to kidnap a Zhan Hu until the IC. They choose Jaime, who is given an "Open in private" scroll, which ends up being a sealed hidden idol clue she has to give to someone on Fei Long.

← Previous: Ep.1 IC Next: Ep.2 IC →

Ep2 RC: "Chinese Checkers" - Fei Long wins, kidnaps Jaime.
Day 5
(June 29)
Day 6
(June 30)

Ep.2 IC: Gate Crasher

Ep.2 IC: Gate Crasher

Ep.2 IC: Gate Crasher

Courtney, Leslie; Jaime sit out. Six tribe members carry a large pole, smash through two sets of wooden doors/barriers, then move the grooves on the log through a table maze. Once free, they crash the log into a gong. Underfed Zhan Hu lags on the smashing, loses. Fei Long wins again.

← Previous: Ep.2 RC Next: Ep.3 RC →

Ep2 IC: "Gate Crasher" - Fei Long wins.

TC2 - Ashley voted out (6-1), 14 left.
Ep3: I Lost Two Hands and Possibly a Shoulder! Ep4: Ride the Workhorse 'Til the Tail Falls Off Ep5: Love Is in the Air
Day 7
(July 1)

Day 8
(July 2)

Ep.3 RC: Clear the Deck

Ep.3 RC: Clear the Deck

Ep.3 RC: Clear the Deck

Courtney, Todd sit out. Tribes compete 3-on-3, alternating women v. women, and men v. men. Tribes face off on opposite sides of a boat, engage in hand-to-hand combat, trying to throw their opponents in the water. First tribe to throw the other three people in the water scores a point, first tribe to three points wins. Results: Rd.1 (women) - Zhan Hu women throw all three Fei Long women in (1). Rd.2 (men) - Dave strips down to his buff. Dave takes Aaron in, James tosses Frosti, Jean-Robert goes in with Erik (Fei Long wins). Rd.3 (women) Leslie first in, followed by Amanda/Sherea, then Denise (Zhan Hu point). Rd.4 (men) - James last standing again (Fei Long point). Rd.5 - Peih-Gee and Jaime prevail, Zhan Hu wins, 3-2! They get comfort items, kidnap Leslie.

← Previous: Ep.2 IC Next: Ep.3 IC →

Ep3 RC: "Clear the Deck" - Zhan Hu wins, kidnaps Leslie.

Day 9
(July 3)

Ep.3 IC: Blade Runner

Ep.3 IC: Blade Runner

Ep.3 IC: Blade Runner

Denise, Leslie sit out. Four choppers (Jaime, Peih-Gee, Frosti, Erik; Courtney, Amanda, Aaron, James) race to chop through wooden beams to release a rope holding puzzle discs. Two puzzle-doers (Dave, Sherea; Todd, Jean-Robert) then must place the discs on the puzzle pole in the correct order, then drag the very heavy puzzle pole across the finish line. Courtney still hasn't completed her chopping when Erik finishes Zhan Hu's last one, so Zhan Hu has a huge lead on the puzzle. Unsurprisingly, they win.

← Previous: Ep.3 RC Next: Ep.4 RC →

Ep3 IC: "Blade Runner" - Zhan Hu wins.

TC3 - Leslie voted out (6-2), 13 left.
Day 10
(July 4)

Ep.4 RC: Great Balls of Fire

Ep.4 RC: Great Balls of Fire

Ep.4 RC: Great Balls of Fire

Courtney sits out. Challenge held at night, outside the Tribal Council building. Two at a time, tribe members must carry fire balls with a giant pair of chopsticks. They drop the ball into a chute, where it rolls into a wok, igniting fireworks. Each round, the chopsticks get longer and more difficult to control. First tribe to three lit woks wins reward. Todd/Denise get theirs before Peih-Gee/Sherea, giving Fei Long a lead. Amanda/Aaron hold that lead over Frosti/Jaime. Jean-Robert/James eventually deliver the win over Dave/Erik. Fei Long wins a camp visit from a family of fishermen; kidnap Dave.

← Previous: Ep.3 IC Next: Ep.4 IC →

Ep4 RC: "Great Balls of Fire" - Fei Long wins, kidnaps Dave.
Day 11
(July 5)

Reward: Local fishermen teach Fei Long to fish with cormorants (and nets).
Day 12
(July 6)

Ep.4 IC: Warrior's Duel

Ep.4 IC: Warrior's Duel

Ep.4 IC: Warrior's Duel

Jean-Robert sits out. In pairs, contestants don ancient Chinese armor, and attempt to throw 'meteor hammers' (two balls attached by string) to knock the other team's porcelain vases over. Defending pairs have bamboo poles to deflect throws. Rd.1: Courtney, Denise vs. Peih-Gee, Sherea - Sherea scores; Zhan Hu up, 1-0. Rd.2: Todd, James vs. Frosti, Dave - James 2, Todd 1; Fei long up, 3-1. Rd.3: Aaron, Amanda vs. Jaime, Erik - Jaime 2 (to tie it at 3-3), but Amanda 1 - Fei Long wins, 4-3.

← Previous: Ep.4 RC Next: Ep.5 RC →

Ep4 IC: "Warriors' Duel" - Fei Long wins.

TC4 - Dave voted out (5-1), 12 left.
Day 13
(July 7)

Ep.5 tribal swap

Ep.5 tribal swap

Ep.5 tribal swap

Each tribe receives a letter in camp, allowing them to select two people from the other tribe to steal. Zhan Hu (thinking they will be up, 7-5) takes Aaron and James from Fei Long, while Fei Long (who figure it out) take Frosti and Sherea. Boats deliver the swapped players to their new camps, then each tribe receives a fruit basket for their efforts.

← Previous: Ep.4 IC Next: Ep.5 IC →

Tribal swap: Aaron and James to Zhan Hu; Frosti and Sherea to Fei Long.
Ep5: Love Is in the Air Ep6: That’s Love, Baby! It Makes You Strong! Ep7: I'm Not as Dumb as I Look
Day 14
(July 8)
Day 15
(July 9)

Ep.5 IC: Plunge, Pull and Pop

Ep.5 IC: Plunge, Pull and Pop

Ep.5 IC: Plunge, Pull and Pop

Amanda, Courtney sit out. Two members of each tribe (Frosti, Jean-Robert; Aaron, Erik) swim out to a cage surrounded by a platform, where they alternate diving to pull out bamboo poles from a cage, releasing discs marked with Chinese zodiac symbols. When all 12 discs are released, they put them in a boat and bring them back to shore, where the remaining three (Denise, Sherea, Todd; James, Peih-Gee, Jaime) place them on a puzzle board. Jaime throws a piece into the grass, and she and Peih-Gee actively fail to solve the puzzle, as Zhan Hu throws the IC. Fei Long wins.

← Previous: Ep.5 swap Next: Ep.6 RC →

Ep5 IC: "Plunge, Pull and Pop" - Fei Long "wins."

TC5 - Aaron voted out (3-1-1), 11 left.
Day 16
(July 10)

Ep.6 RC: Search and Decode

Ep.6 RC: Search and Decode

Ep.6 RC: Search and Decode

Amanda, Courtney, Denise sit out. Contestants must take turns entering an abandoned set of buildings, then find, untie, and bring back a tribe-colored plank. When all planks are retrieved, they must be inserted into a puzzle board to decode a word puzzle. (Confucious phrase, "A journey of a thousand miles..."). Fei Long has a lead on puzzle, and wins a trip to the Charmin Teahouse, where they bathe, drink tea, and use Charmin, apparently. They kidnap James to join them.

← Previous: Ep.5 IC Next: Ep.6 idol →

Ep6 RC: "Search and Decode" - Fei Long wins, kidnaps James.
Day 17
(July 11)

Ep.6 idol: Todd/Fei Long

Ep.6 idol: Todd/Fei Long

Ep.6 idol: Todd/Fei Long

Todd, using James's clue, finally figures out where the idol is. After Amanda wanders over to knock off roof slats, Todd joins her and tries to pry the idol off. They're interrupted by Frosti, who climbs up, and sees Todd get the idol. Todd and Amanda decide they have to trust Frosti, and Todd gives the idol to James, for protection when he returns to Zhan Hu. Todd then plots with James to also grab the Zhan Hu idol.

← Previous: Ep.6 RC Next: Ep.6 IC →

Todd, Amanda, Frosti find Fei Long's hidden idol, give it to James.
Day 18
(July 12)

Ep.6 IC: Name That Spoon

Ep.6 IC: Name That Spoon

Ep.6 IC: Name That Spoon

Jean-Robert, Sherea, Todd sit out. Gross food challenge; first to finish scores a point, first tribe to four points wins. Round 1: Frosti vs. Peih-Gee - 10 chicken hearts. Frosti wins. Round 2: Courtney vs. Jaime - 3 eels. Jaime wins. Round 3: Amanda vs. Erik - 3 baby turtles; Erik wins. Round 4: Denise vs. James - 2 balut; James eventually wins. Round 5: Frosti vs. Erik - '1000-year-old egg'; Erik wins again, and Zhan Hu wins, 4-1.

← Previous: Ep.6 idol Next: Ep.7 idol →

Ep6 IC: "Name That Spoon" (food) - Zhan Hu wins.

TC6 - Sherea voted out (5-2), 10 left.
Day 19
(July 13)

Ep.7 idol: James/Zhan Hu

Ep.7 idol: James/Zhan Hu

Ep.7 idol: James/Zhan Hu

While Zhan Hu hangs out by the water, James quickly pries off their camp's idol, although he selects the wrong wooden square on his first attempt. He leaves the blank one at the base, and Erik eventually finds it, and gives it to Jaime.

← Previous: Ep.6 IC Next: Ep.7 merge →

James gets Zhan Hu idol.
Day 20
(July 14)

Ep.7 merge

Ep.7 merge

Ep.7 merge

The tribes are brought together, and are told they have merged. They receive new black buffs, but before dismissing them to attend their dinner and Chinese cultural show, Probst admonishes them that 'the game never stops.' They will later take a quiz, for immunity, about the events of the day.

← Previous: Ep.7 idol Next: Ep.7 IC →

Merge - no Reward Challenge, but a "merge feast and show."
Ep7: I'm Not as Dumb... Ep8: High School Friend Contest Ep9: Just Don't Eat the Apple
Day 21
(July 15)

Ep.7 IC: Retention to Detail

Ep.7 IC: Retention to Detail

Ep.7 IC: Retention to Detail

Probst arrives in Hae Da Fung camp, produces the immunity necklace, and informs the tribe they will now be tested on their ability to recall details from the previous day's merge feast. It will be single elimination - miss an answer, you're out. Question 1 (number of times firecrackers went off - 3): 7th place(tie): James, Amanda, Courtney, Peih-Gee out. Question 2 (What was the centerpiece - a dragon): All left are correct. Question 3 (What was the pole color - yellow): 3rd place(tie): Todd, Jean-Robert, Denise, Erik out. Question 4 (What were the dancers wearing on their feet - nothing): 2. Jaime out, 1. Frosti wins.

← Previous: Ep.7 merge Next: Ep.8 RC →

Ep7 IC: "Retention to Detail" - Frosti wins.

TC7 - Jaime voted out (7-3); 9 left.
Day 22
(July 16)

Ep.8 RC: Bucket Stops Here

Ep.8 RC: Bucket Stops Here

Ep.8 RC: Bucket Stops Here

Simple challenge: Sink the other team's boat (twice). Teams picked by schoolyard pick (actually shown), Jean-Robert picks first for yellow team, Peih-Gee captain of the red team. Yellow team: Jean-Robert, James, Todd, Amanda. Red team: Peih-Gee, Frosti, Erik, Courtney. Denise not picked, can't win. Rd1: Todd, Courtney in boats, Courtney sinks. Rd2: Frosti, Amanda in boats; Frosti sinks, yellow team wins meal in an ancient Chinese village. Jean-Robert is excited to open the final idol clue, and everyone else present knows James has both idols.

← Previous: Ep.7 IC Next: Ep.8 IC →

Ep8 RC: "Bucket Stops Here" - James, Jean-Robert, Todd, Amanda win.
Day 23
(July 17)
Day 24
(July 18)

Ep.8 IC: Dragon Rider

Ep.8 IC: Dragon Rider

Ep.8 IC: Dragon Rider

Contestants must balance, seated, on a barrel arranged in a snake structure. Each barrel is draining water, making it more unstable as time passes. Order out: 9.Jean-Robert (10 min), 8.Denise (also 10 min), 7.James (20 min), 6.Erik (20 min), 5.Peih-Gee, 4.Amanda, 3.Todd (30 min), 2.Frosti (32 min), 1.Courtney wins!

← Previous: Ep.8 RC Next: Ep.9 RC →

Ep8 IC: "Dragon Rider" - Courtney wins.

TC8 - Jean-Robert voted out (5-3-1), 8 left.
Day 25
(July 19)
Day 26
(July 20)

Ep.9 RC: Drum Roll

Ep.9 RC: Drum Roll

Ep.9 RC: Drum Roll

Schoolyard pick for two teams: Yellow (Erik, Frosti, Amanda, Courtney) and Red (Peih-Gee, James, Todd, Denise). Contestants must walk through various obstacles while bouncing a ball on a drum. They can pass it off to each other, as long as it doesn't touch the ground. Winning team is the first to place three balls in a bucket at the end. Yellow gets all three in before Red even gets one. They win an overnight riverboat trip, with multiple meals included.

← Previous: Ep.8 IC Next: Ep.9 IC →

Ep9 RC: "Drum Roll" - Frosti, Erik, Amanda, Courtney win an overnight river cruise.
Day 27
(July 21)

Ep.9 IC: Take A Stab At It

Ep.9 IC: Take A Stab At It

Ep.9 IC: Take A Stab At It

Courtney, Todd, James, Denise sit out, eat cheeseburgers and fries instead. Players have a labeled 4x4 grid of Chinese zodiac symbol cards. Probst calls out a series of symbols, players must then use a knife to stab those cards in that order. Round 1 (5 items): 4. Erik out. Round 2 (5 items): 3. Amanda out. Round 3 (6 items): 2. Frosti out, 1.Peih-Gee wins!

← Previous: Ep.9 RC Next: Ep.10 RC →

Ep9 IC: "Take a Stab At It" - Peih-Gee wins.

TC9 - Frosti voted out (7-1), 7 left.

Ep.10 RC: Confucius Said

Ep.10 RC: Confucius Said

Ep.10 RC: Confucius Said

Challenge is held at Tribal, immediately after the Frosti boot (after Probst dismisses the jurors). Simple trivia test, first contestant to five correct answers wins. Q1: Todd, James, Peih-Gee, Denise all right. Q2: All right. Q3: Denise wrong (Todd, James, Peih-Gee have 3, rest have 2). Q4: Amanda wrong (T/J/P have 4). Q5: Only Peih-Gee right. Final rankings: 1.Peih-Gee (5); 2(tie): Todd, James (4); 4(tie):Erik,Denise,Courtney (3); 7:Amanda (2). Peih-Gee wins a trip in a private jet (leaving the next morning) to an ancient Shaolin temple. She brings Erik and Denise with her.

← Previous: Ep.9 IC Next: Ep.10 IC →

Ep10 RC: "Confucius Said" - Peih-Gee wins.
Ep10: Ready to Bite the Apple Ep11: Going for the Oscar Ep12: Hello, I'm Still A Person!
Day 28
(July 22)

Peih-Gee, Erik, Denise leave for Shaolin Temple trip.
Day 29
(July 23)

Shaolin winners return to camp.
Day 30
(July 24)

Ep.10 IC: Star Struck

Ep.10 IC: Star Struck

Ep.10 IC: Star Struck

Contestants take turns tossing throwing stars at human-shaped targets, work 1, 2, or 3 points (or the "heart" worth 5 points, which nobody hits). The top three scores advance. Round 1 (three throws): Peih-Gee: 0+0+0 (0); Todd: 0+0+3 (3); Erik: 3+0+3 (6); Courtney: 3+2+1 (6); James: 0+3+3 (6); Amanda: 3+0+3 (6); Denise: 0+2+0 (2). Eliminated: 7.Peih-Gee, 6.Denise, 5.Todd. Round 2 (one throw, target is now 10-feet farther back): Courtney: 0, Amanda: 2, Erik: 3, James: 0. Final ranks: 1.Erik, 2.Amanda, 3(tie):James, Courtney. Erik wins immunity!

← Previous: Ep.10 RC 

Ep10 IC: "Star Struck" - Erik wins.

TC10 - James voted out (5-1-1), 6 left.
Day 31
(July 25)

Ep11 RC: "Marco Polo" (Loved ones visit) - Denise wins "Sprint" call.
Day 32
(July 26)

Denise, Todd and Amanda's loved ones depart camp.
Day 33
(July 27)

Ep11 IC: "Swamp Donkeys" - Peih-Gee wins.

TC11 - Erik voted out (4-2), 5 left.
Day 34
(July 28)

Ep12 RC: "Zen Archery" - Denise takes Todd, Courtney on trip to Great Wall.
Ep12: Hello, I'm Still A Person! Ep13: A Slippery Little Sucker (Season finale) Game over
Day 35
(July 29)

Denise, Todd and Courtney return from Great Wall.
Day 36
(July 30)

Ep12 IC: "Chinese Leftovers" - Amanda wins.

TC12 - Peih-Gee voted out (4-1), 4 left.
Day 37
(July 31)

Ep13 RC: "Great Wall of Zhelin" - Amanda wins food, shares with Todd.
Day 38
(Aug. 1)

Ep13 IC: "Offer It Up" - Amanda wins.

TC13 - Denise voted out (3-1), 3 left.
Day 39
(Aug. 2)

Final Tribal Council and jury vote on final three - Todd wins, Courtney second, Amanda third.

(Aug. 3)

Departure.

(Aug. 4)

Contestants return home to U.S.